Combined shuttle feeler and thread cutter



June 3, 1931- A. J. CHEVRETTE COMBINED SHUTTLE FEELER AND THREAD CUTTER Filed July 22. 1929 fv v /vrm? AUGA/ET/NJfl/EVRE 775 x y A TTUR/VE Y5 Patented June 23, 1931 7mm, STATES PATENT OFFICE AUGUSTIN J. CHEVRETTE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CBOMPTON 8t KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS COMBINED SHUTTLE FEELER AND THREAD CUTTER Application filed July 22, 1929. Serial No. 380,181.

This invention relates to improvements in combined thread cutters and shuttle feelers and it is the general object of the invention to provide a device of thiskind which will automatically move toward the selvage to prevent the weft end from pulling away from the clamp. I

In weft replenishing looms more particu- ,larly of the multicolor type it is customary to employ a vertically movable shuttle feeler which is lifted by an improperly placed shuttleto prevent transfer. When a thread cutter and clamp is placed on a feeler of this type there. is a tendency for the weft end ofthe outgoing bobbin to pull out of sald clamp, particularly where the weft is inelastic. It is an important object of my present invention to pivot the shuttle feeler so that the same may move toward the selvage when being raised to normal position.

It is a still further object of my present invention to provide a shuttle feeler pivoted to move in a horizontal plane and having a cam slot-therein to cooperate with a fixed operating pin, the slot having a dwell which will beefiective to prevent'horizontal motion of the shuttle'feeler until the latter has had suflicient upward motion. to perform its function'- of. detecting for ainisplaced shuttle and revoking transfer. It is a .further detail of my invention to permit adjustment of the operating'member so that by means of it the time of beginning the horizontal the feeler may be varied.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention residesin'the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and described in the claims.

motion of V b In the accompanying drawings wherein a Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view taken in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 1 and Figs. 5, 6 and? are diagrammatic views showing the shuttle feeler in down, intermediate and normal or raised positions, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a magazine of the usual multicolor construction embodying a frame 10 having a foot 11 which is supported by a loomside 12. A transferrer arm 13 is movable in an arcuate slot 14 by means of connections not shown but operated by the lay.

Near the rear of the magazine is a stand 15 which supports a stud 16 having adjustably secured thereto for angular movement an upstanding arm 17 provided with a slot 18. A stud 19 is secured in adjusted longitudinal position along the slot and affords pivotal connection for the upper end of an operating rod 20 adjustable as to length.

Extending substantially parallel to the stud 16 and held to the bracket or stand 15 is a second stud 21 on which is rotatably mounted the hub 22 of a shuttle feeler mechanism. This hub is pivotally connected as at 23 to an upwardly extending control rod 24. The shuttle feeler comprises a holder 25 in which is secured by means of bolt 26 a pressed steel arm 27 having a lower arcuate surface 28 adapted to engage the nose of a misplaced shuttle. The shuttle feeler is operatively connected to the rod 20 and moves with the latter in a vertical direction.

The lower forward end of the shuttle feeler has pivoted thereto as at 29 a movable cutter blade 30 having an upstanding finger 31 which is attached pivotally to the lower end of rod 20. A portion of the shuttle feeler may be ground to provide one of the cutting edges of a cutter mechanism to cooperate with the rearwardly entendingaw 32 of the cutter element 3 A thread clamp 33 is secured to the shuttle feeler and normally bears against the jaw 32, the latter being between the clamp and the body of the shuttle feeler.

In the operation of the mechanism thus far bv the lay L.

described the rod 24 is normally in raised position, being held so by mechanism not shown but well understood and set forth in patent to Ryon No. 1,030,748. in this position the jaw 30 is as illustrated in Fig. 1, being closed and cooperating with the clamp 33 to hold a weft end between the clamp and'j aw 32. At the time transfer is to take place the control rod 26L will be depressed to move the hub in a r1ght hand direction as viewed in Fig. 1

around stud 21, thereby lowering the shuttle feeler 27 into the path of the shuttle S carried fixed, the downward motion of the she tle feeler will open the jaw 32through the action of the rod 20. Should the shuttle be misplaced during the forward movement of the lay onxwhich transfer is to take place it "will engage the surface 28 and lift the shuttle feeler, thereby causing an upwardv movement of the control rod 24:. By mechanism not shown but set forth in the aforesaid Ryon patent upward movement ofthis rod 24 is effective to prevent transfer. I

The matter thus far described of itself forms no part of my invention except the manner of 'mounting, and otherwise constructing the holder 25, the arm 27 being substantially the same as shown in prior patent to Robb No. 1,689,688, and the cutter and rod 20 being substantially the same as set forth in my prior Patent No. 1,662,235.

"As reviousl T stated it is desirable to proi y vide means whereby a relatively melas 1c weft end extending from the clamp 33 to the selvage may be slackened to prevent pulling away from said clamp, and to accomplish this result I provide the holder with a hub which extends between upper and lower ears ll and 42, respectively formed on the hub 22. Extending between and secured to said cars is a pivot pin forming a pivotal support forthe hub to and therefore the shuttlefeel--v er, permitting the latter to move in a hor1- Zont-al direction toward and from the eelvage. As set forth herein 1 form the holder '25 with'a rearwardly extending cam arm cupy the front end of the slot and the shuttle feeler will be relatively near the selvage. During the first part of the downward movement previously described the inclined portion 49 of the slot 4l5 will cooperate with fixed pin 46 to cause the shuttle feeler to Inasmuch the stud 19 move away from the selvage. At an intermediate point in the descent of the shuttle feeler the pin d6 will enter the straight portion 50 of the slot which is in a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of stud 21. After the pin 46 enters thestraight' portion of the slot there will be no further horizontal motion of the shuttlefeeler, the latter moving downwardly tov shuttle feelingposition.

During the forward beat of the/lay following the lowering of the shuttle feeler the cutter and clamp will be in position to receive the thread which extends from the selvage to the outgoing bobbin; Should theshuttle be misplaced the nose thereof will engage, the surface 28 as previously described and raise the feeler to revoke transferythe revoking operation being concludedfwhile the pin'46 is'stillin the straightport-ion 50 of the slot 45. Qln this way Iretain the necessary func-' 'tion of the shuttlefeeler and require the latter to move in a vertical plane while in engagem'ent'with a misplaced shuttle. I

Should the shuttle be properly positioned,

however, the-box back 51 will engage the surface 28 and lift the shuttle feeler. Under these conditions the cutter and clamp will be in a position near enough the reed line of the loom to receive the threadof the outgoing bobbin.

As the shuttle feeler rises the cutter and clamp will operate asiset'forthin my aforesaid patent through action of the rod and the fixed support therefor. During the latter part of the upward movement of the shuttle feeler the pin4; 6 will enter the inclined portion 49 of the groove and start to move the shuttlefeeler toward the selvage. During. upward movement of the unit. the rod E20 is able tomove laterally due tothe looseness of the; headed end of the rod which has contact with the stud 19. r

The positions previously described are set forthdiagrammatic-ally in Figs; 5, 6 and 7 Fig. 5 showing therelation of the pin 4 6 and straight portion 50 of the slot when the shuttle feeler is all the way down infeeling position, Fig. 6 showing the relation when the shuttle feeler is in an intermediate position during its upward movement with the pin 46 in position to leave the straightand enter the inclined portion of the'slot, and Fig. 7 showing the normalfrelation of the operating pin of the slot. when. the shuttle "feeler is raised. p

vIfind that a motion constructed as set forth herein can be successfully used with nonelastic filling. VVhenthe shuttle feeler is in its lowest position it is substantially in the samehorizontal plane with the cloth and there is very little tendency for the thread to pull out of the clamp during that part of the upward movement of the shuttlefe'eler when the pin 46 is in the straight portion .50 of the slot." During the latter part of the upward movement of the shuttle feeler, how- I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to employ pins and cam slots to effect movement of the shuttle feeler toward the selvage, butso far as I am aware these devices have operated to move the shuttle feeler and cutter together as a whole in a parallel motion. The upward movement of the shuttle feeler is comparatively limited and as a result the movement permissible in these earlier devices has been insufficient. By pivoting the shuttle feeler to its hub V i as set forth herein I am able to multiply the motion of the clamp and cutter so that a devices referred to. The multiplication of greater slackening is possible than in the the motion depends upon the distance between the axes of the stud 43 and the pin 46.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a combined shuttle feeler, thread cutter and clamp which is pivoted to move in a vertical position to effect shuttle feeling and also in a horizontal direction to slacken the weft end held by the clamp. It will also be noted that the shuttle feeler is required to move in a vertical plane only during the first part of its upward movement, thereby permitting the same to operate satisfactorily as a shuttle feeler. This part of the motion occurs when the rate of movement of the thread clamp away from the selvage is a minimum. It will also be seen that when the rate of movement of the V clamp away from the selvage becomes relatively high the portion 49 of the slot becomes effective to cause a movement of the thread clamp toward the selvage.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a shuttle and a combined shuttle feeler and thread cutter and clamping unit pivoted above'and behind the lay when the latter is in its forward position, a fixed operating member, and a lever device to cooperate with the operating member supporting said unit and movable in a vertical plane to effect shuttle feeling and movable in a horizontal plane under influence of the operating member to cause the thread clamp to move toward the V selvage, a holder for the unit movable vertically pivotally connected thereto, said fixed means to cooperate with the unit and effective a during vertical motion of the holder to cause pivotal movement of the unit in a direction toward the selvage.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a shuttle and a combined shuttle feeler and thread cutter and clamping unit pivoted above and behind the lay when the latter is in. its forward position, a fixed operating member, and a lever device to cooperate with the operating member supporting said unit and movable in a vertical plane to effect shuttle feeling and movable in a horizontal lane under influence of the operating memer to cause the thread clamp to move to- Ward the selvage, a holder for the unit movable vertically pivotally connected thereto, a cam operatively connected to the unit, said cam and member effective during the upward movement of the holder to cause movement of the unit relatively to the structure in a substantially horizontal direction toward the selvage.

3. In a weft replenishing loom, a thread cutter and clamping unit, a supporting stud fixed with respect to the unit, a hub mounted on the stud, a lever held normally fixed to the magazine, a connection between the magazine and hub and at transfer said connection giving the hub an operative vertical movement, a normally stationary member fixed to the stud and having operative engagement with the unit, a second connection between the unit and lever whereby the cutter is moved from inoperative to operative position as the unit moves vertically and inter-engaging connections between the hub and unit and fixed member and unit whereby a movement of the hub in a vertical plane will cause a combined vertical and horizontal movement of the unit.

4. In a weft replenishing mechanism for a loom, a thread cutter and clamping unit, a stud fixed with respect to the replenishing mechanism, a hub loose on the stud, said unit having pivotal connection with the hub so that the latter may move in a horizontal plane, a member normally fixed with respect to the stud, a connection between the hub and magazine and at transfer said connection giving the hub a vertical movement, means defining a cam slot in the unit, and operative connections between the slot and member whereby a vertical movement of the hub will tend through the slot and connection to the member to give the unit a horizontal movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

AUGUSTIN J. CHEVRETTE. 

